Re: Oneida Nation of the Thames Rejects Ontario Bill 5 — Cites Lack of Consultation, Treaty Violations, and Legal Bypassing of Indigenous Jurisdiction
June 3, 2025
Media Release
Re: Oneida Nation of the Thames Rejects Ontario Bill 5 — Cites Lack of Consultation, Treaty Violations, and Legal Bypassing of Indigenous Jurisdiction
The Oneida Nation of the Thames strongly condemns the Government of Ontario’s passage of Bill 5 – Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025 – which was introduced and advanced with minimal transparency, no meaningful consultation with our Nation, and without respect for our treaty rights.
Despite statements by Ontario officials that they will meet with First Nations leadership “once the bill is passed,” we assert this is not consultation, but after-the-fact damage control. True consultation must occur before legislation is introduced — not after it is law.
This bill directly threatens the lands, waters, species, burial sites, and traditional practices that our Nation is responsible for under the 1701 Nanfan Treaty, the One Dish One Spoon Wampum, and the Silver Covenant Chain. As Haudenosaunee people, we carry legal, sacred, and collective responsibilities to protect these lands for the next seven generations.
Bill 5 also proposes the creation of “special economic zones” where companies can be exempt from following provincial laws and regulations — a move that could fast-track development and resource extraction across Indigenous territories without full oversight or consent. Although the government claims it will also introduce “Indigenous-led economic zones,” these remain undefined, unnegotiated, and unaccountable to Indigenous governance systems.
The passage of Bill 5 after just two days of hearings — and with six other pieces of legislation allowed as little as nine minutes of opposition debate — is a clear dismissal of democratic process and respectful dialogue. Minister Rickford’s assurance that Bill 5 will not affect treaty rights is contradicted by the structure and speed of the bill itself, and by the absence of nation-to-nation consultation with the Oneida Nation of the Thames.
Our community was not consulted. We learned of this bill through third-party communications. That is not consultation — it is a deliberate bypass of our sovereignty and our standing as a Nation.
We do not consent to the application of Bill 5 within our treaty-protected and traditional territories.
We call on the Crown to uphold the honour of the Crown, to suspend all actions associated with Bill 5, and to enter into a true nation-to-nation dialogue grounded in Haudenosaunee law, responsibilities, and protocols.
The Oneida Nation of the Thames stands united with all Haudenosaunee Nations in defending our treaties, our lands, and our future generations.
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Clara Hill, Communications Generalist
Oneida Nation of the Thames
clara.hill@oneida.on.ca
519-652-6161ext 812
